What do you do when a couple comes to you with two very opposing and different aesthetic ideas and a completely blank house that needs to be fixed up quickly because baby's on the way? If you're designer Rachel Seldin, you come up with a simple, clean and cozy design that would make any family feel comfortable.

When I was approached by this couple, this was presented as a small house project that needed to be done quickly because they were expecting their first child in the next few months. As new and first time homeowners, this immediately became part of the challenge. Not only was I under a deadline, but I was basically working with a blank canvas, making this "small house project" much larger than they actually anticipated, all while keeping within a budget.

The next set of challenges, was to find a balance between the conflicting design aesthetics of the couple. "Cozy but clean" was handed to me as the design concept after spending time learning about their styles preferences. Accomplishing this was the key to finding happiness between the couples contrasting design aesthetics.

While the husband loved the clean lines, and rich woods of the mid-century aesthetic, the wife loved the cozy, plush and airy feel of a coastal home. Needless to say I found a wining formula: grounding the design in warm woods, clean mid-century lines and then layering on plush and comfortable fabrics, a touch of color and interesting texture.